Arkansas State Highway Comm'n v. Hawkins

George Rose Smith, Justice.

This is a condemnation suit in which the highway department is taking 19.01 acres out of the appellees’ 64-acre tract of farm land. In appealing from a verdict and judgment fixing the landowners’ compensation at $12,500 the department argues two points for reversal.

First, the landowners’ expert witness, Terrell Huff, testified that the highest and best use for the property, which lies near the city of Beebe, would be to subdivide it into residential homesites. The witness was also allowed to testify, over objection, that the house and barn on the property had a…